Wiley The PR Masterclass: How to develop a public relations strategy that works!

A very interesting insight into the world of PR. A must for freshers!

I haven’t finished the book yet, I’m about half way through. So you’re probably thinking that I should have finished it before recommending it.But that’s how good it is, I’m only half way through and I’m already singing its praises.Despite being having a highly successful career, Alex Singleton comes across as a down to earth guy, with genuine advice. His book is both interesting and an easy read. This is what you want out of a career advice book, there’s nothing worse than having to stop every couple of lines to google the definition of some jargon or other.The book is divided into chapters and useful sub-sections, so (although I don’t recommend it) you could in theory just skip to the bits you need to learn most about. The book does not waste a word, with every page full of tips and suggestions. Alex Singleton also intersperses the book with his own personal experiences and antidotes, which gives the book a human feel and in some cases even acts as motivation.One of the nice things about the book is that it gives you a real PR pro’s views on a lot of the theories and myths you’re sure to come across online. Alex Singleton’s uses the book to share personal experiences and research to suggest and warn against certain tools that a quick Google search will tell you are a must. He also answers the age old question everyone starting out, or wanting to start out in PR has probably asked at some point - how long should a press release be?There is one other thing I would recommend buying if you invest in this book; a writing pad and highlighter, or just a highlighter if you don’t have my innate horror of writing in books. Because you are sure to find snippets that you’ll want to be able to quickly refer back to, such as useful websites. There are points in it where the advice is common sense, however it is nice to be reminded of it, because when your chasing the next lesson or tip it can be easy to lay aside the things you already know, and should be doing but aren’t.Now this is admittedly a bit superficial, and I know you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover. But it does have a great cover. The bright colours and clean design are inviting, you can pick up this book with a cup of tea and not feel like cup of tea and not feel like you’re about to start school revision all over again.So basically, if you want a career in PR, or want to improve skills you already kind of have, get this on your Amazon wish-list.I

At last. A PR book speaking my language!As a PR practitioner, I'm one of the few still believing in the power of relationships and media relations when it comes to PR. This book reaffirms my belief to continue working in this specialised area.Alex writes in clear and simple terms, not allowing his advice to be bogged down in 'jargon' and 'corporate speak'. His extensive experience backs up his advice, while providing helpful tools and ideas.This book will sit permanently on my desk. Highly recommended.

Great read! Gives a lot of good resources and tips.

As a young PR professional, who had entered the industry following a career change, I struggled to find any practical advice that my colleagues had gleaned from university courses and hard-earned work experience. I read mountains of academia on public relations, but none of this helped further than understanding the industry.I ordered Alex Singleton's book as part of my endeavour to be better at the job I desperately wanted to do well, and I half expected it to be the usual slightly out-of-date industry data and historical theory that I had previously read.What I gained instead was an incredibly valuable series of tips and tricks that have come from somebody who understands both the journalists' plight of the overflowing inbox and the PR's struggle to break through to create relationships with the media.The PR Masterclass helped me to understand what I was selling and how to make it work for the media I was targeting. It gave me the dos and dont's that proved unsurprisingly effective in generating results. It also gave me new ideas of things to integrate into a campaign.All aspiring PR professionals should read this book - the most accurate review that I can give is this: it gives you common-sense strategies that you don't seem to have thought of already.